University of Puerto Rico at Ponce

English Department
English 4021, Section M03

MEMORANDUM
Date: December 8th, 2022
To: Pier Angeli LeCompte Zambrana, PhD
From: Jorge F. Pagán Román (Leader)
Kiara V. Droz Ruiz (Secretary)
Geremy Rivera Feliciano (Information Gatherer)
Rudesindo J. Garcia Figueroa (Materials Manager)

Subject: Progress Report on Atabey Garden

Introductory Summary

The purpose of this progress report is to document the work done in the Atabey Garden, located at
the University of Puerto Rico at Ponce, by the students of the course ENGL-M03. This was done
together with the Student Coalition Pro-Agriculture (CEPA). This document contains all the
finished and unfinished work done from our group’s time period September 9th, 2022, through
November 29th, 2022. The work we did included yarding, weeding, planting, watering, and hoeing.
Professor LeCompte required eight hours of work from each student but given that one student
from our group was not able to finish the whole eight hours assigned, our project was around 95%
finished. On another hand, one of the students completed two extra hours, and another completed
one extra hour. The goal of this project was to help CEPA with the work around the garden and
help motivate other students to do the same.

Finished Work

Each member of the group did different tasks, but they held the same goal: cleaning up the garden
and initiating the planting process. The daily tasks assigned were each completed by the end of the
maintenance period. The responsibilities included mowing and hoeing the grass, weeding, and
planting. There was also a donation of eight bags of dirt in total for the purpose of creating a better
base to plant on.

Enclosed with the document, you will find our Minutes, Service Log and Self-Reflections.
 I. Clearing the ground

Hoeing the ground was one of the first steps in the garden maintenance journey. We divided
ourselves in teams, one of which had hoes and the other handled the rakes. The hoes were used to
dig up the existing grass and weeds in the ground. Their second function was to dig up dirt to
create plantable rows for seeds. The people who delt with the rakes gathered up all the grass and
weeds to get them out of the way. Some was later used as compost and the rest was scattered along
the ground to keep the ground moist. This process facilitated grass mowing, which is what CEPA
had planned after the hoeing. Group member Rudesindo volunteered to bring a string trimmer to
mow the grass that was left.

II. Eliminating weeds

There were multiple spots that had weeds left, including the car wheels where seed would be
planted further on. We removed the weeds by ripping them from the roots or used the hoes when
they were too many and too difficult to remove. If there were earthworms, they were not removed
because they can be good for the soil. As with the clearing of the ground, we left the weeds on the
surface of the soil to keep it moist.

III. Creating compost

The compost in the Atabey Garden was divided into three phases that were identified in three
spaces or cubicles. In the first phase, every material that is organic is placed in a cubicle to begin
the composting process. As the days go by, the second phase is reached, where the mixture begins
to homogenize and thus, it can enter the third phase, where it is ready to be used. Our task in this
area was to move the mix through each phase individually to homogenize it, using tools such as a
shovel and wheelbarrow. Also, as the Orchard was cleaned of branches or other organic materials,
they were placed in the first phase or first cubicle to begin their composting process.

IV. Placing soil in car wheels

The dirt bags donated by the different students of the Technical Writing course were used to fill
out the empty car tires where sunflowers were planted. The donated dirt was poured in a corner of
the garden and with a shovel it was placed inside all the car tires. Unfortunately, the sunflowers
that were planted in the wheels did not grow. Therefore, CEPA members decided to replace the
sunflowers with tobacco. When the last maintenance was carried out in the Atabey garden, it was
possible to see that the tobacco had begun to grow.
 V. Planting seeds

The seeds are first planted in pots and once they begin to germinate, they are considered seedings.
After the seedlings grew enough, they were transplanted into the car wheels facing the front of the
garden so they would get more light. The transplantation process consisted of:

1. Making a hole in the soil for the plant

2. Removing plant from its original container
3. Placing the plant in the hole
4. Fill the hole with the dirt that was pushed aside
5. Flatten the dirt and straighten the plant

VI. Donating plants and soil

Two members in our group donated four bags of soil each, making a total of eight bags donated.
One of our members donated medicinal plants as well. The soil was used for planting seeds because
the ground at the university garden is too dry and does not hold moisture well, essentially making
it infertile. It also contains fertilizer, which helps improve the quality of the soil, making it more
nutritious and stimulating for plant growth.

Materials

All the materials were available in the garden shed but some of them were in bad condition. For
example, the wheelbarrow wheels were deflated and some of the hoes were of lower quality,
making them hard to use. The materials used in the Atabey Garden were:

• Rake
• Shovel
• Hoes
• Trimmer
• Wheelbarrow
• Watering can
Unfinished Tasks

The Atabey Garden still had plenty of work left to do, including more planting, constant weeding,
and watering of the plants. We did not get to transplant all the medicinal plants that were donated
or ensure their healthy growth. The plants need a lot of care and there’s not enough people
volunteering to help. The garden is well on its way to restoration, but it still needs work to make
it look beautiful again.
Future Work
Some future work that can be done for the garden in the future, as discussed with the members of
CEPA, would be finding and planting seeds that grow quickly. In addition, there’s still more raised
platforms to be made. These are being used to put good soil over them so the plants will grow. The
Agricultural Fair would be a good future event to bring back as well. Currently, CEPA needs a lot
of help and there’s not enough people volunteering. The garden is well on its way to restoration,
but it still needs work and care to make it look beautiful again.

Closing Statements
The objective of this document was to provide a record of the development of the Atabey Garden
during the period of September to November. The group members each completed a variety of
projects that helped with the maintenance of the garden, some of these being planting, weeding,
and composting. Our goal during the semester was to help the Student Coalition Pro-Agriculture
begin creating a beautiful garden again and bring attention to it. As a form of support, one of our
members joined CEPA to be able to help around more often and he also brought in some extra
materials during the work hours that he did. We were able to see the change we all brought into
the garden and the beginning of real progress to make it the best garden it can be.
Appendix A: Photos
Figure 1: Rudesindo J. Garcia Figueroa,
with his string trimmer after mowing the
lawn of the Atabey Garden

Photo taken by: Jorge F. Pagan Roman

(Leader)

Figure 2: Photo of the Atabey Garden after

Rudesindo J. Garcia Figueroa volunteered to
bring his trimmer to mow the lawn.

Photo taken by: Jorge F. Pagán Román

(Leader)
Figure 3: From left to right:
Kiara V. Droz Ruiz, Jorge F. Pagán Román,
and Rudesindo J. Garcia Figueroa after
working in Atabey Garden.

Photo taken by: Alejandra Medina (Public

Relationist of CEPA)

Figure 4: Kiara V. Droz Ruiz, the girl with

the purple shirt, using the hoe to make
grooves to be able to plant.

Photo taken by: Arelis Acevedo (Secretary of

CEPA)

Figure 5: Geremy Rivera Feliciano removing

the weeds from the dirt inside the wheels
where the Tabacco is planted.

Photo taken by: Rudesindo J. Garcia Figueroa

(Materials Gatherer)
APPENDIX B: Progress Report Minutes
Call to Order:

A meeting of the Progress Report for the Course ENGL 4021 M03 of the University of Puerto
Rico at Ponce was held via WhatsApp on September 9th, 2022. The meeting convened at 12:30
p.m., Jorge F. Pagán Román presiding and Kiara V. Droz Ruiz, secretary. All members of the
group attended.

Approval of Minutes:

No prior minutes were approved since this was the first meeting.

Matters Discussed:

1. The members of the group selected Jorge F. Pagán Román as the leader for the Progress
Report project.

2. The newly appointed leader, Jorge F. Pagán Roman, told the group that every month,
they would have a meeting to see the work done on Atabey Garden and organize the
information collected for the Progress Report.

3. The members that would be working on the Progress Report chose their role. The
distribution of roles was:

a. Jorge F. Pagán Román – Leader

b. Kiara V. Droz Ruiz – Secretary
c. Geremy Rivera Feliciano – Information Gatherer
d. Rudesindo J. Garcia Figueroa – Materials Manager

Adjournment: The meeting adjourned at 1:17 p.m.

Submitted by:

_______________________ October 14th, 2022 .

Kiara V. Droz Ruiz, Secretary Date of Approval
Call to Order:

A meeting of the Progress Report for the Course ENGL 4021 M03 of the University of Puerto
Rico at Ponce was held via WhatsApp on October 14th, 2022. The meeting convened at 12:10
p.m., Jorge F. Pagán Román presiding and Kiara V. Droz Ruiz, secretary. All members of the
group attended.

Approval of Minutes:

Minutes from the September 9th meeting were approved by the members of the group.

Matters Discussed:

1. The leader of the group, Jorge F. Pagán Román, asked the members if they were able to
go to the Atabey Garden.

2. Rudesindo J. Garcia Figueroa and Geremy Rivera Feliciano explained the reasons why
they were not able to go to the Atabey Garden.

3. Kiara V. Droz Ruiz told the members of the group about the other options available to
help CEPA with the garden. The other options were to donate bags of dirt or medicinal
plants.

Adjournment: The meeting adjourned at 1:00 p.m.

Submitted by:

_______________________ December 6th, 2022 .

Kiara V. Droz Ruiz, Secretary Date of Approval
L
;

Call to Order:

A meeting of the Progress Report for the Course ENGL 4021 M03 of the University of Puerto
Rico at Ponce was held in the library Adelin Coppin Alvarado on December 6th, 2022. The
meeting convened at 9:15 a.m., Jorge F. Pagán Román presiding and Kiara V. Droz Ruiz,
secretary. All members of the group attended.

Approval of Minutes:

Minutes from the October 14th meeting were approved by the members of the group after
corrections.

Matters Discussed:

1. Geremy Rivera Feliciano asked all members about the specific tasks they did at the
Atabey Garden.

2. All members of the group worked on the Word document for the Progress Report.

Adjournment: The meeting adjourned at 12:20pm.

Submitted by:

_______________________ December 7th, 2022 .

Kiara V. Droz Ruiz, Secretary Date of Approval
APPENDIX C: Service Log Hours of
Members
APPENDIX D: Self-Reflection
 SELF-REFLECTION ON
Think about what you did in this project, and how well the project went.
Write your comments in the right column.
Student Name:
Project Name:
Driving Question:
List the major steps of the
project:
About Yourself:
What is the most important
thing you learned in this
project:
What do you wish you had
spent more time on or done
differently:
What part of the project did
you do your best work on:
About the Project:
What was the most
enjoyable part of this
project:
What was the least
enjoyable part of this
project:
How could your teacher(s)
change this project to make
it better next time:
PROJECT WORK
Kiara V. Droz Ruiz
Progress Report on Atabey Garden
How can we contribute to the Atabey garden and help restore it?
Major steps of the project:
1. Clearing the ground 5. Planting seeds
2. Eliminating weeds 6. Donating plants and soil
3. Creating compost
4. Placing soil in car wheels
The most important thing I learnt was that agriculture is very important in
Puerto Rico and that projects like these help us support ourselves. It is
also a lot of hard work and our farmers should get more support.
I wish I could have spent more time planting seeds and weeding. For
medical reasons, I cannot do much physical effort under the sun but I
would have loved to have done more work.
My best work was transplanting the tobacco plants from the pots to the
car tires. Also, removing the weeds using hoes was really difficult and it
was what made me the most proud.
The most enjoyable part of this project was being able to watch the plants
grow. There was also a certain sense of peacefulness while dealing with
the plants.
The least enjoyable part of this project was dealing with the mosquitoes
and the blazing sun. For me, it was difficult being under the sun for so
long.
I think it would be good if it was clarified if other team members are
penalized or not if one member did not complete the hours. Also, more
room for donations would be a good change.